Infections are frequent in patients with severe alcoholic liver disease, but are only independently associated with mortality when patients receive prednisolone, researchers report in the April issue of Gastroenterology. This could offset prednisolone’s therapeutic benefit. This study’s senior author, Mark Thursz, discusses the findings in a video abstract. As with

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be isolated from portal venous blood collected during endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) of patients with pancreaticobiliary cancers, researchers report in the December issue of Gastroenterology. CTCs isolated from peripheral blood of patients with metastatic breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer can be analyzed to predict patient survival. However, blood samples from

A special issue of Gastroenterology features 14 articles discussing the genetic factors that contribute to a range of gastrointestinal (GI), hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases, and how this information can be used in diagnosis and treatment of patients. An introduction to the special issue explains the value of associating diseases with specific genetic variants, which can help

The fecal concentration of calprotectin can be used to monitor for recurrence of Crohn’s disease, with a high enough negative predictive value that physicians can be confident they won’t miss patients with recurrent disease, researchers report in the May issue of Gastroenterology. Approximately 80% of patients with Crohn’s disease require surgery

Most patients with celiac disease are not adequately followed, according to the August issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CGH). Improving follow-up strategies for patients with celiac disease could improve their outcomes. Adherence to a gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment for celiac disease. This is a difficult diet

About the Author

Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.